breakfast

This recipe for Healthy Homemade Granola is more nutritious than the average store-bought kind. It’s lightly sweetened with honey and maple syrup, and full of heart-healthy oats. Bake up a big batch at home (and save money, too!).

Breakfast is a meal I’m often prone to skip. If I don’t have something made ahead or that’s quick to grab, then I’m running on pure caffeine until noon. Thankfully, there are a couple of recipes that I can rely on for a quick bite. Some of you may remember this Perfect Baked Oatmeal recipe – total life saver! Well, this Healthy Homemade Granola is another one. It’s full of healthy plant-based protein from nuts and complex carbs from oats. I make up a big batch and then store it airtight on the countertop for easy breakfast fixin’s.

The two ways I eat this homemade granola most often is 1. layered with Greek yogurt parfait-style, and 2. in a bowl with a splash of oat milk, cereal-style. It’s so packed with fiber, protein, and vitamins, that it sustains me until lunchtime and sometimes well beyond!

Choose your adventure.
First, in your largest mixing bowl, stir up the nuts, grains and seasonings. You could use a deep Kitchen Aid stand mixer bowl for mixing this granola, if you have one. I used oats, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds in this. But you could use any raw nut or seed that you prefer. Whole almonds, flaxseed, uncooked quinoa, are all so wonderful in granola. Feel free to swap in your favorite ingredients!

The dressings.
Next, stir together the wet ingredients: olive oil, wildflower honey, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
I prefer to use heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe. Normally, I strictly use EVOO as a condiment (to drizzle or dip) but it’s really nice here and more nutritious than other oils. Or, use sunflower oil (low in saturated fats) or grapeseed oil (contains vitamin E). Avoid vegetable oils that are very high in saturated fats.

Use the wet ingredients to ‘dress’ the granola. Stir everything together thoroughly, so that each grain, nut, and seed, gets coated with the wet mixture.

Spread the granola onto the prepared baking sheets. Tamp it down into a nice even layer. Use light aluminum pans, if you have them. Because dark pans will often over-brown the granola. If you only have dark pans, reduce the bake time by 10 minutes, and watch carefully for the oats and nuts to turn golden.

Cool the granola completely on the pan. Then break it into chunks and add some chewy dried fruit. Dried cranberries are my fave but golden raisins are also wonderful. Organic dates give this mix extra sweetness without adding refined sugars. Buy whole pitted dates and give them a chop. They have a nicer texture than the bags of pre-chopped dates.

Making homemade granola makes me feel a little more savvy all-around. It’s delicious, practical, and I can make good judgments about the ingredients I put into it. It’s easy to switch up with different nuts and seeds. This large batch recipe can be divided to keep half on deck for breakfast, while the other half can be frozen for future use.

Healthy Homemade Granola

Heather Baird

Homemade granola is the way better than the store-bought stuff, which can sometimes have hidden ingredients like corn syrup and preservatives. It’s easy to make at home for much less than you’d pay at the grocery store. This recipe makes a big batch and keeps well air-tight. It freezes well, so half can be frozen for future use. Yields about 10 cups of granola

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Prep Time 15 minsCook Time 24 minsTotal Time 39 mins

Course BreakfastCuisine American

Servings 20 servings

Equipment2 large baking sheets approximately 11×17 inches
Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 6 cups old-fashioned oats1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves or whole almonds, pecans halves, or a mixture of all1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds2 tablespoons chia seeds optional1 1/2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt2 teaspoons ground cinnamon3/4 cup olive oil extra virgin1/3 cup wildflower honey1/3 cup pure maple syrup1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 cup dried cranberries golden raisins are also great!1/2 cup chopped dates
Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large light colored baking sheets with parchment paper. (Don’t use dark pans; they tend to over-brown the oats and nuts.)In an extra-large mixing bowl, combine the oats, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds if using. Also add the salt and cinnamon. Stir well to mix and disperse the seasonings throughout.In a separate medium bowl, mix together the oil, honey, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Pour into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to stir and turn the mixture over, thoroughly mixing to coat every grain and nut. Divide the granola evenly onto the two prepared pans and use a spatula to pat the granola out into an even layer.Bake 12 minutes, then stir well on the pans; pat down the granola into an even layer again after stirring.Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.Remove from the oven and let the granola cool completely on the pans. Don’t stir it yet! When the granola is completely cool, break it into big pieces for clusters of granola, or break it up finer to your preference. (I like a mixture of clusters and finer bits for eating it cereal-style in a bowl with milk.)Add the dried cranberries and dates to the granola. Lightly toss to disperse.This granola will keep well in an air-tight container for about 2 weeks. It freezes well, so you can double bag in freezer bags with the air removed, and store in the freezer for 2-3 months. Bring granola to room temperature before serving. See notes for serving suggestions.
NotesWays to eat homemade granola:

Munch on it like trail mix straight out of the container.
Eat it from a bowl with a splash of milk.
Layer it with yogurt in a glass or jar.
Sprinkle it on French toast
Stir it into to pancake batter.
Sprinkle it on melted chocolate and let set for chocolate bark
Coat apple slices in peanut butter and dip in granola.

 
Vegan granola: Omit the wildflower honey and replace with 1/3 cup of maple syrup (total maple syrup in recipe will be 2/3 cup).
Gluten-free folks: Although this recipe’s ingredients are naturally gluten-free, be a label reader. Make sure all ingredients are marked gluten-free. Some manufacturers of oats can be sneaky and process oats with equipment that also processes wheat products.
Chia seeds: I listed these as optional in the recipe, but they cling wonderfully to the other ingredients and create crunchy clusters. They are also highly nutritious, packed with fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and many more beneficial nutrients. If you don’t like chia seeds, you could add 1/4 cup of uncooked quinoa in its place. Or add whole raw flaxseed to the mix to get similar health benefits. 
Coconut oil: If you’re a fan of coconut oil, it can be used in place of the olive oil. However, it is very high in saturated fat which is why I prefer olive oil or grape seed oil. 

Keyword easy granola recipe, healthy granola, homemade granola, old fashioned oats, quick breakfast

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